Dafoe presses for answers on nitrates
That is the headline in Wednesday’s Cortland Standard (3/10/04 pg 3) and when you read the article it sounds like Mr. Dafoe (D-Homer) is being a good legislator and pressing the health department hard for answers. As least that’s how it looks on the surface but what does it look like when you dig a little deeper? If you read the letter from Bill Lewis below, you will see him telling about following manure trucks coming from the Farme area in, are you ready? HOMER. What’s funny, at least to me, is that the reason, or the main reason, we have a nitrate problem in Preble is the huge amount of liquid manure that comes to us from HOMER! One could then ask Mr. Dafoe why, if he was so concerned about the high nitrates in Preble, why he doesn’t do something about the source of those nitrates right in HIS OWN BACKYARD!
I love the little two-step politicians do when they want to avoid responsibility for a problem. Mr. Dafoe’s district creates the nitrate-ridden manure that is shipped to Preble and piled high and deep on our fields. Those nitrates then pollute our water and will someday leech back down to Homer and Mr. Dafoe complains to the Health Department as to why they aren’t doing enough to correct the problem. You gotta love this guy!
But what about those farmers who leased their fields to Farme in the first place? It seems to me that we could easily stop this problem if those farmers just canceled their leases with Farme and let Farme dump somewhere else. Now that sounds like a very simple solution to our problem. The only problem with this idea is money. What money you ask? The money Preble farmers get from Farme, they would have to give that up. But isn’t the small amount of money they get from Farme and others worth it to save our water supply. Can these farmers be so greedy that they would risk the health of their neighbors for a little money?
I guess we’ll find that out won’t we?
--
Steven Dafoe (D-Homer)
28 Clinton St.
Homer, NY 13077
607-749-5249 – Home
John M. Steger Jr. (R-Preble/Scott)
7506 Friendly Lane
Tully, NY 13159
(315) 696-8483 - Home
Legislature roster | County roster
